Shloka 132

Devanagari script

सहस्राक्षोड्युताक्षो वा सर्वतो$क्षिमयो5पि वा । यच्च विश्व महत्‌ पाति महादेवस्तत: स्मृत:,उनके सहस्र अथवा दस हजार नेत्र हैं अथवा वे सब ओरसे नेत्रमय ही हैं। भगवान्‌ शिव महान्‌ विश्वका पालन करते हैं; इसलिये “महादेव” कहे गये हैं

Transliteration

sahasrākṣo dyutākṣo vā sarvato 'kṣimayo 'pi vā | yac ca viśvaṃ mahat pāti mahādevas tataḥ smṛtaḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa sprach: „Man nennt ihn den ‘Tausendäugigen’ oder den ‘Zehntausendäugigen’; ja, man kann ihn verstehen als ganz aus Augen bestehend, nach allen Seiten hin—immer wachsam in jede Richtung. Weil Mahādeva dieses weite Universum schützt und trägt, wird er mit dem Namen ‘Mahādeva’—der Große Gott—in Erinnerung gehalten.“

Word by Word

सहस्राक्षःhaving a thousand eyes

द्युताक्षःhaving shining eyes

वाor

सर्वतःon all sides, everywhere

अक्षिमयःconsisting of eyes; full of eyes

अपिalso, even

वाor

यत्that which

चand

विश्वम्the universe, the world

महत्great

पातिprotects, sustains

महादेवःMahādeva (the great god, Śiva)

ततःtherefore, from that reason

स्मृतःis called/remembered (as)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Mahādeva (Śiva)

Viśva (the universe)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse grounds Śiva’s title “Mahādeva” in his cosmic function: he is the all‑seeing protector and sustainer of the vast universe. The imagery of countless eyes conveys omniscience, vigilance, and impartial guardianship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is describing and praising Mahādeva (Śiva) through exalted epithets. The statement explains why Śiva is remembered as “Mahādeva”: because he preserves the world, watching in every direction as if endowed with innumerable eyes.